Falling Stars
by Avgi
Summary: After a long mission, Team Natsu arrive back home. On the night of the arrival, Lucy notices she is being followed. Now she can do nothing but obey for her to be able to keep her friends from getting hurt. But will it end up hurting her instead?
1. Chapter 1

**Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima. Image belongs to its rightful owner.**

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Chapter 1

Hidden in the Shadows

I tried to catch my breath as I climbed the hill, but it was impossible to keep up with him. He was always so full of energy, it truly amazed me.

"Come on, Lucy! We don't have all day!" Natsu shouted.

"Uh, actually we do!" I shouted back!

"But Lucy, I'm hungry! If we don't get to the guild as soon as possible, I might pass out. What about you Happy?" he asked the little blue cat.

"Aye, sir!" Happy squeaked.

"Alright, alright I get it." I huffed. "As I reached the top of the hill where Natsu and Happy were, the beautiful view of the town I called home appeared. Far into the distance, right next to the port, the Guild Hall stood tall and proud like it always had. "See? We'll be there in the next twenty minutes." I reassured them and their growling stomachs.

"Oh yeah, Can't wait to get some grub! Are you with me Happy?" said Natsu with excitement.

"Aye sir! Come on Lucy, try not to fall back again!"

"I'll try!" I laughed as I ran down the hill with my two best friends.

The streets of Magnolia were always so filled with life. As we walked down the path to the guild, we passed many little shops and ran into so many people. I loved walking around and just randomly talk to them. Everyone was really friendly.

"Do you want to eat here or should we head to the Guild?" asked Natsu.

"I want Mira's fish! Lets go back to the Guild!" Happy whined.

"No objection here. But do you think I can drop by my house and leave my stuff. I don't want to carry it." The mission we had chosen obligated us to travel half way through Fiore and track down the Bullough Brother's, bandits who had been going through the whole kingdom terrorizing small villages. We must have been away for about a week. We managed to capture them, but as usual, in the process damages were caused by Natsu and his explosiveness, so we did not receive the reward.

"Yeah no problem, Lucy. Careful on your way home." said Happy. And with that, the Dragon Slayer and the blue exceed went their separate way. They were both my closest friends, but it was nice to get a break once in a while.

The walk to my house was a small one, but I usually took my time and enjoyed it. My suitcase vibrated as it rolled behind me. I was getting harder and harder to carry, so it was obvious I was tired. Since there was no real rush, I stop and park my suitcase beside me. I inhale and exhale, smelling the fresh and familiar air of Magnolia. I turn my head so that I had full view of the river that flowed through the city and, eventually, in front of my apartment. The water was peaceful and glowed beautifully in the afternoon light. I bend down slightly to get a better look. A voice in the distance emerged, snapping me out of my trance.

"Be careful, Lucy. We don't want you to fall in." A while had passed but I still remembered the two men that frequently passed down the river making their deliveries.

"I'll be fine, I always am. Thanks though." I yelled back at them.

"Been a long time, Lucy. See ya around." Said the other man as the slowly drifted away. I could help but let out a giggle. Still feeling exhausted I decided to just go straight home and into a warm bath.

It felt great finally being home after that long mission. Thinking I needed to be at the Guild soon, I just simply left my suitcase next to my dresser so I won't forget to unpack later and headed straight for the bathroom. Being home was nice, but being in a hot bath was even better. I turn on the fausset and let the steamy water run as I undressed myself. Letting my hair down from my side ponytail brought relief to my scalp. I turn toward the mirror and apply my facial mask and then washed it off. I couldn't help but stare at my reflection. Whenever I did, I always felt like mother was standing right next to me.

"I miss you guys, ...so much…" I choked. I break away and headed for the bath. As the water was still running I opened my body soap bottle, vanilla scented, and added it in the tub, always a little extra so bubbles can overpopulate it. Once it was filled, I slowly dipped my self in. It felt like all my stress and worries just oozed away. Having nothing else to do in the tub, my mind just drifted away in the deepest parts of my memory. I started recalling all of my adventures, starting with the first time I ever met Natsu. We had gone through so much together, it amazed me that we were still alive. Then again, having Natsu on my team, I doubted that would ever happen. Erza and Gray are also people who would never allow harm come to their friends. Happy is no pushover either. And I could never forget my spirits. They had helped me through the most difficult of times, it's almost unbelievable. "You guys are the best." I faintly said.

Once I was done with my bath, I changed into some clothes, grabbed my gate keys and headed for the Guild Hall. Since it was getting late, everyone had already turned in for the night, so the streets were all empty. The Guild was not too far from my home, but the walk in the night did send chills down my spine. My footsteps echoed through the temporary ghost town. Upon walking, I noticed that some of the footsteps did not match my own. I suddenly stop, and a few echoed in the distance before silencing. My suspicions arose immediately "Someone is… following me…?" I started walking a little faster, and the presence of my stalker became clearer. He was now running after me. I picked up the pace even more, hoping I could outrun him, but to no avail. I quickly turn the corner and the Guild Hall in in full view. Even though I felt a little relieved, the fear of the man following me still terrified me. At that point I was running in full speed, but I still felt like he was getting closer and closer. Thinking that I won't be able to reach the Hall in time, I swiftly turn and pulled out my gate keys. Without looking, I pulled one out and noticed that it was Taurus' key. "Open, Gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus." Light flashed out of the golden key and a massive bull appeared in front of me.

"What can I _dooo_ for _yooou, _Miss Lucy?" he asked with his trademark speech.

"Taurus, someone is after me." I said even though I was out of breath. I look past my spirit and see that the figure had come to a stop, but I still could not see who it was. "Stay away from me or you're gonna get hurt."

"No one shall come close to Miss Lucy's rockin' body! _Mooo_!" I ignored his perverted comment and kept my eyes pinned on my stalker. Only a second past, and he was already running for the hills. I then sighed in relief.

"Thanks for the help Taurus, you can go back now."

"Wait! Don't I get a _smooo…_!" I swiped my key and closed the gate before he could finish his sentence.

"Who was that?" I thought to myself. I stared off into the distance. The scenery was pitch black so I could not make out if he was still there. "Hopefully its over now." With no more time to spare, I turn my back and open the doors to the Guild. Loud music and voices filled the air. It was the same as always. With no reason to celebrate, they do it anyway. I walk in, and they all greet me with cheers. In the distance, my two best friend sat at our usual spot, and kept a seat open just for me. Once they notice me in the distance, smiles appeared on their faces and waved me down. Without a second though I quickly walk into their direction, and everything that had happened before hand just simply became a thing of the past.

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**NaLu is my favorite pairing so I hope you guys enjoy this love story. If you'd like to review, it would help me out a lot. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Quick note. I'm leaving for Greece in a day and I was planning on writing over vacation, but two days ago, my laptop broke. I cramped to write this chapter so I hope it's not badly written and there are no errors. **

**Since there probably isn't going to be another update on this story until I get back, enjoy this chapter that happened to be a little longer than I expected, and if that is not enough, enjoy my other story called "The Iron Soul" which is focused on Gajeel and Levy.**

**I wanted to say thanks for reading. Like, review, and send a PM with ideas that you might have, (It could end up in the story. You never know :P) it helps me out a lot, and I'll see you in the next chapter. **

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Chapter 2

Followed

"So wait… you were being followed?" the fire dragon slayer asked.

"Yeah, it was really weird. I had to summon Taurus to scare him off."

"Come on Lucy, this has happened before. The possibilities of you being stalked again are slim to none." he said before he stuffed his mouth with cheesy nachos with extra hot sauce.

"Yeah, but last time it was my father. This one can be the real deal." saying that sent a chill down my spine, but it needed to be said.

"Maybe you're right."

"I want more fish!" said Happy with a smile on his face.

"Way to stay focused on the situation in hand Happy." I sighed.

The blue exceed flew off towards the counter to ask MiraJane for more of her popular salmon, leaving me and Natsu at our table alone.

"So, what are you going to do about this guy following you?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. Taurus scared him off, so maybe now he won't come back, or at least I hope so."

In the distance I heard a familiar voice call out to me, followed by a couple others.

"Lu-chan!" Levy cheered.

"Levy! It's so good to see you!" I got up from my seat at ran into her hug that was waiting for me.

"Happy told us that someone was following you."

"Yeah, we got really worried. Are you hurt?" asked the ice-maker mage.

"Way do you care ice-bastard?" growled Natsu in the back.

"You shouldn't open your mouth pyro, if you know what's good for 'ya." he snapped back.

"Boys, enough!" Erza commanded, making the boys immediately stop.

"I'm fine guys, thank you though." I smiled.

"He better leave you alone." said Erza with a voice full of seriousness.

"Yeah, or he will have to deal with us." Gray stated

"Honestly, there is no need to make a big deal out of it. Taurus and all of my other spirits are always there for me, and I can take care of myself. So don't trouble yourselves."

"Okay if you say so. But if you ever need anything, just say so." Levy said before she walked off with my other two friends. It made me feel so good knowing that I had them to help me out whenever I needed help.

"They're the best." I said as I sat back down at our table.

"Except for that perverted popsicle." Natsu hissed. Usually I would scold him for fighting his friends, but I couldn't help but giggle at how cute he was when he got mad. "So, wanna take another job request for tomorrow?" he asked full of excitement.

"But Natsuuu… we just got baaack…" I whined in frustration.

"Oh come one, Lucy, don't be like that. It'll be fun!" He smirked.

I sighed, knowing that there was no way of changing his mind. "Fiiine, but I pick the job! I don't want to spend the majority of the time traveling and you puking."

"Deal!" We both rose from our seats and headed for the request board. It surprised me that Nab was not towering over the board, still looking for the perfect job. I figured that he had already gone home for the night. "How about this one?" Natsu yelled. He quickly shoved a piece of paper in my face that read "Please slay the three mountain lions that have been terrorizing our village. Reward: J. 40,000."

"I don't think so." I grunted. I looked around and spotted a fairly easier job, but worth much more. "How about this one? Protect a secret relic from possible bandits. Reward: J. 75000."

"It's alright, but I don't get to fight anyone." He pouted.

"And that is why we are taking it. I don't want to have to use our reward money again to pay for damages." He kept pouting. "But hey, there might be a possibility of fighting the bandits." I added, hoping it would sound more interesting to him.

"Okay, i guess it could work." His sharp grin suddenly appeared on his face, making me smile along with him.

"Okay then it's settled. I'll see you tomorrow bright and early." I cheered as I headed for the door.

"But wait, what if that stalker guy comes back? Shouldn't you have someone walk you home?" he asked with a voice full of concern.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'll be fine." I yelled back as I exited through the front doors.

It was a rather cloudy night, and the moon was no where to be seen, so my only light source were a few street lights along my path. Being extremely cautious, I looked left and right at every corner, making sure my stalker wasn't there. Small shadows made me jolt with every movement, and once my heart calmed down, I kept walking. "Geez, I've got to lighten up a bit. That stalker must have already escaped and is long gone. I've got nothing to worry about." I laughed nervously. Through my laughter, the sound of a pebble skipping echoed and reached my feet. I quickly turned and saw a familiar figure in the near distance. "Oh no." It was him again. "What do you want?" I screamed at him. The stalker then started walking towards me at a slow pace, making it even creepier. "Stay back!" My hand was already on my keys, ready for a fight. Despite my warning, he did not stop. In fact, he started moving faster. "Alright you asked for it!" I tug on my key chain and I sighed in relief seeing as how the key I had randomly chosen belong to Loke. "Open, Gate of the Lion! LEO!" A bright flash of light shined in front of me, and within it, a sharply dressed man appeared.

"Hello, beautiful. What shall I do for you today?" the redhead asked as he bowed to me.

"The usual. Kick that guys butt." I ordered while pointing at my target.

"On it." He swiftly turned at ran for the stalker "Regulus Punch!" In an instant, He jumped high up in the air, and with full force, he came raining down like a bright star, with a clenched fist aimed at the man's head. Completely unfazed, the stalker raised his arm and blocked Loke's attack with his bare hands. "What the…?" With complete ease, the mysterious man grabbed Loke's wrist and sent him flying in the opposite direction.

"Is he a mage?" I whispered to myself. The stalker then turned his attention back to me and started walking towards me again. Fear surged through me with every step he took in my direction. "Stay back!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"Why you…" In no time flat, Loke was back on his feet, ready for another attack. "Leave Lucy alone!" He yelled while running towards him. Just before the impact had a chance to happen, the man stepped to the side and out of Loke's range. Frustrated, Loke glanced at him with a look that frightened even me. "I'm warning you." He quickly adjusted his Regulus ring before dashing forward yelling "Regulus Beam!" It amazed me on how fast he moved. Almost as fast as the speed of light.

"Yeah, go Loke!" I cheered in the background, but it did not last long. The ground began to tremble in a way that it made it difficult to even stand. I fell on my hands and knees, letting out faint yelp due to the impact. I raise my head to see what was going on. Loke had almost reached the stalker when suddenly, a swarm of rocks emerged from the ground below knocking Loke and sent him flying back. "NO!" I yelled in worry. He was not moving. I ran to him and checked if he was okay. I knew that spirits could not die, but that did not make me worry less. "Loke? Loke, can you hear me?" A faint grunt escaped his lips letting me know that he was okay. I look over my shoulder and saw that the stalker was again walking in our direction, but this time, he was carrying something like a weapon. "An assassin?" I thought. I bounced back up and spread my limbs wide, creating a protective shield in attempt to guard Loke. "You can kill me, but you cannot lay a finger on him!" I shouted as tears ran down my cheeks.

"Lucy… no…" Loke managed to say.

"Please…" I cried. My eyes were closed shut, my body was petrified in fear and my heart was running a mile a minute. I was terrified. Seconds past and nothing had happened. I slowly open my eyes and noticed that he had once again disappeared. "What…"

"Lu-Lucy…" a faint light started to twinkle behind me. I turn my head, only to see that Loke was fading back into the spiritual world

"Loke!" Without hesitation, I ran to him hoping that he was okay. "Are you hurt?"

"I'll be fine. The man ran away. I have a feeling that he will be back so once I'm gone, call someone else as a bodyguard. You hear me?" he said between coughs.

"Yeah, just… get better."

"Anything for you princess." With a wink, the light around him grew slightly brighter. The next thing I knew, he was gone.

"Thank you, Loke." I attempted to stand back up on my feet, but it was rather difficult, not because of the shaking ground like before, but because I was running out of magic energy. When I finally did, I take out the key of the gentlest person I knew and summoned them. "Open, Gate of the Ram! Aries!" I faint 'puff' echoed in my ears and a shy girl appeared though a cloud of pink fluff.

"Wh-what can I do for you master?" She stuttered.

"Aries, I ne-..." I didn't realize how much that whole experience drained out of me, but the next thing I knew, I was on the ground, the lights slowly fading out.

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**Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima. Image belongs to its rightful owner.**

**Love ya guys! 3**


	3. Chapter 3

**All things Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima. Picture also belongs to its rightful owner.**

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Chapter 3

Faint Light, Dark Abyss

"Miss Lucy…? Miss Lucy are you alright?" a soft voice echoed. I opened my tired eyes and the light of the morning sun burned them. At first I couldn't see anything, but after a few seconds, the silhouettes of my furniture started to form. I was in my room. "Miss Lucy?" the voice said again. I turn my head slightly and the lovable Aries was sitting on her knees next to my bed with a worried expression.

"A-aries…" My throat hurt like hell. It hurt to talk. "W-what happened?" I coughed.

"I brought you home last night after the attack on you and Loke." she was on the verge of tears when she said that. Then again, she was always on the verge of tears when she said anything, but I knew she was worried.

"Thank you Aries. You did good." I smiled at her to relieve her of her worries. She then spared a smile which made me feel even better. I then noticed that she looked paler than usual. And then it hit me. "Aries!" I almost yelled, making her jolt. "Did you… stay here the whole night?" She didn't respond. She just tilted her head down in shame. Staying out of the spirit world for a long period of time is very draining to celestial spirits. Even though Loke survived for more than 3 years, Aries can be considered one of my most delicate spirits. So having her stay over night watching me must have really been a difficult job. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean…"

"Do not worry Miss Lucy. It is my duty to serve and protect you." She smiled. She might be delicate, but she is definitely strong.

"Thank you, Aries." I smiled back. "You've been a big help." With a nod, the white, lamb girl disappeared in the light and faded back into the spirit world. Once she was gone, I let out a deep sigh and fell back down to my bed. "Oh my god." I whispered to myself. I rubbed the temples on either side of my head with my thumbs. "What is happening? Who was that?" Thinking back to the event that happened the night before made me shiver in fear. "Can't think about that right now I guess." I again, slowly, got up from my bed, cautious of not making myself dizzy, but failed. Once I stood on my two feet, I felt my brain go numb, and my body along with it. I tried using all of my strength to prevent myself from falling, but I still found myself on the floor. "Damn it." I growled.

Suddenly a knock on the door emerged and a voice on the other side followed shortly after it. "Lucy!? Lucy, you in there?" Natsu asked.

"N-natsu?" I asked weakly.

"Lucy?" He responded. "Lucy, open the door!"

"I- I can't…"

"Hold on." There was a small silence lingering in the air, but then the sound of a key clicking in my doors keyhole was heard. The door was swung open and Natsu was standing there looking around the room. I let out a small grunt and immediately, his attention was set on me. "Lucy!" With one leap, Natsu was bending down next to me, turning me over and picking me up from the floor. "Are you okay? Why are you on the floor?" He lead me to my bed and laid me down gently on the soft surface.

"I tried getting up, but I guess that was a bad idea." I couldn't hold back the harsh cough in the back of my throat, but I still tried to laugh it off. Sadly, Natsu wasn't buying any of it. He only sat next to me, staring at me with his concerned face. "Listen, Natsu. There's not need to-."

"Who is he?" he sternly asked.

"What? Natsu everything is taken-."

"Loke came this morning to the guild and explained everything. You are both in bad shape and you're telling me that everything is taken care of?" He was practically yelling. I couldn't blame him though. I'd be furious as well, but that didn't change the fact that he was scaring me."

"You're right…" I sniffed. "I should have been more careful…" Tears started to form in my eyes, threatening to run down my cheeks. Then, suddenly, Natsu grabbed my hand and squeezed it into his. I looked up to him and saw that he had a hurt expression.

"Don't do that." I was confused. "Don't do that to yourself. Don't blame yourself on things you can't control." He quickly got up and headed to the door. "Especially when I could have done something to prevent it."

"Natsu, what are-." My own thought interrupted me that time. How can Natsu had known that I would be attacked. I then looked back to a day ago and remembered I had mentioned to Natsu that I was being followed. He couldn't possibly think that he could blame himself because he wasn't there. "You can't blame yourself either!" I shouted with a cry.

"I'm going to find whoever did this to my friends." And with that, the door slammed shut and he was gone. The only thing I could do was just stare at the door. I desperately wanted to get up and run after him, making sure he doesn't do anything reckless, but getting in his way would also be a reckless move on my part. So I just sat there thinking. His mind was not clear, he has no idea how powerful the culprit could be, plus, he had no leads to where he was located. I also had no idea where he could be. He would vanish in thin air and appear whenever he wanted. The only thing I knew is that he used Earth Magic, and that he definitely did not use all his might in the fight against Loke and he still beat him in mere seconds. What really confused me is why he did not finish the job. Was it because I intervened? Did he suddenly run out of magic power and decided to flee? All these unanswered questions.

I discarded the stressful and worrisome thoughts and looked at my clock. Eleven thirty-three p.m. I slept in the whole morning, yet I was still exhausted. I suspected everyone at the guild would be wondering where I was, but I was pretty sure everyone was informed of last night. Staying home was the better option at the time. I sunk myself in the fluffy mattress and covered myself with my fuzzy blankets. I was scared of closing my eyes, thinking that someone could be watching me at anytime, but I was to tired to think that. With every second gone by, my eyelids became heavier and heavier, until, finally, I drifted into a deep sleep.

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_The world was gray. The only thing that could be seen was a path that seemed like it lead to nowhere. I walked on the path, not knowing why, for what seemed like hours. I wanted to stop but I had no control over my body. My heart felt empty, like an empty shell. What did it all mean? _

_After walking some more, my body finally came to a stop. My head slowly raised and in the near distance, a faint light was visible. Even though it was small, I could feel the heat radiating from it. It was practically the only thing I had felt the entire time. The warm and inviting feeling made me want to reach out and grab it. I subconsciously raise my hand and before I knew it, the ground below me started to crumble. Before I could act the ground had sully cracked. I found myself falling into the dark abyss with only the light from before at the top of the pit, slowly becoming smaller and smaller. The ground where I once stood started to form again, eventually burying me alive._

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I quickly snapped out of my dream in screams. My whole body was drenched in sweat. When I finally reassured I was still save in the comfort of my home, I let out a small sigh. I looked out the window that was right next to my bed, I saw it was dark out. I look at my clock which read two twenty-seven a.m. With an aggravated groan, I plop back down on my pillow, trying to fall back asleep with hopes of having good dreams instead.

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**Finally came back from vacation** **and finally got rid of my 'writer's block' on this story. ** **I is 1:40 a.m. and I'm off to bed. Again, thank you for all of your support. If you guys want you can follow, favorite and, as always, leave a review, it helps me out a lot. Constructive criticism is welcome!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima. Image belongs to its rightful owner.**

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Chapter 4

Reunion

I woke up the next morning, and I felt totally normal. I wasn't feeling light headed and it seemed I could control my body just fine. I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. A warm shower in the morning seemed like the best idea. I quickly got dressed and set off for the Guild. On the way there, I took my time and tried to figure out my situation once again, but I was going nowhere. _I'm not a famous mage that people would want revenge on. I have not ties to my family and its wealth so I'm not worth much. What could it be?_ I asked myself these question, waiting to receive an answer, even though I knew I wouldn't.

"Excuse me miss?" A childish voice spoke out. I turned round and saw a little girl, about Asuka's age, with orange red hair and emerald green eyes.

"Hm, what is it sweetie?" I asked in a concerned yet cheerful tone.

"I lost my brother." she sniffed. "I can't find him anywhere." Tears were now forming in her eyes, threatening to fall.

I panicked a little and started hushing her. "No don't worry, honey. We'll find him." I looked around, hoping I would find a person better suited for the situation, but no one stood out. I sighed and turned my attention back to the red head. "What does he look like?"

"He's tall and and has brown hair." she sniffed "And he has green eyes like me."

"Okay now when did you last see him?" She looked around but gave no answer, which made me worry even more. "Do you even know where you are?" She shook her head, about to cry even more. I quickly grabbed her and pulled her into a reassuring hug. "Don't worry we'll find him." Thinking that there would be no chance in finding him in a crowded place like Magnolia, Fairy Tail seemed the best choice, especially if her brother was in another town for us to look in. I grabbed her petite hand and smiled sweetly "Come one, we are going to Fairy Tail."

She looked at me with her pure emerald eyes that shined because of her tears. "You're a Fairy Tail Mage?" she asked with amazement.

"Yup." I answered as we started walking towards the guild. "Oh, how rude of me." I gasped. "What is your name."

"Nefriti." she smiled, tears out of sight.

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"Wow, this place is so big!" she said in awe, he eyes trailing in each corner of the guild. "Can we go inside?" she shyly asked.

"Of course we can." I stepped forward and placed my hands on the colossal doors and pushed in, opening them up slowly. I poked my head in and saw all of my guild mates hanging around like usual.

"What's wrong?" She asked in confusion.

"Hm? Oh, nothing. It's just that you need to be careful when entering this guild." At that moment, I heard a 'whoosh' that turned my attention to the hurling man heading right for me. I quickly close the doors and a loud thud was heard. Anger and frustration surged through me. I again open the guild doors, only to reveal a laughing Natsu.

"Hahaha, I win again!" He yelled with pride.

"Natsu!" My loud voice filled with aggression made everyone jolt.

"Oh, hey Lucy!" He grinned.

"Don't 'Hey Lucy' me. You could've hurt Nefriti."

"Nefriti?" Everybody simultaneously asked.

The little girl stepped around from behind me, revealing herself to the guild. "Hello, I'm Nefriti." she shyly introduced herself. Seconds later, everyone let out a loud 'aw'.

"Everyone, this is Nefriti. I found her at the market. She's looking for her big brother."

"Oh, my. She's lost?" The soft voice of Mirajane spoke out.

I nodded in response. "To make it worse, she doesn't even know where she is. She might be from a town close by."

"That is very unfortunate." Erza said. "We should sent out a announcement that we have found her and that she is safe."

"That's what I said as well. We should sent it to all of Fiore."

"We should ask for a reward." Natsu laughed, resulting a glare from me. "I'm just kidding."

Suddenly, huffs and puffs echoed from the guild entrance. We all turned our attention towards the man out of breath leaning against the doors, barely able to stand. It took him a while to catch his breath, but after a few breaths he spoke. "Have any- of you- seen my little sister?"

"Petra!" Nefriti yelled as she ran towards her brother. She leaped in the air prepared to wrap her arms around him, but he was still too weak, so the both fell backwards and on to the floor. "Petra, I was so scared! I thought I lost you!" She cried.

"I'm sorry, Nefriti." He hugged her back. "I promise I'll keep a better eye on you from now on." The moment was so heart warming, no one wanted to interrupt. We all stayed there in silence. The man then looked up and saw all of us looking at them. "Thank you, so much everyone for keeping her safe."

"No thanks necessary." I smiled. "We're just glad you found each other."

"Petra," Nefriti spoke up. She loosened her grasp around her brothers neck and looked at me. "This is Lucy. She's the one who found me and brought me here."

"Is that so?" The man sat his little sister down and got up, only to stand before me extending his arm towards me. "Special thanks to you, Miss Lucy." He grabbed and kissed my hand. "My name is Petra."

"He-hello." I stuttered. He had mid-length brown hair that slightly covered his beautiful emerald eyes that can make any girl's heart melt. He shared a smile before coming up again. He was slightly taller than me and he was in good form. "D-do you mind me asking how you got separated?" I asked.

His smile then turned into a hurt expression, as if he felt utterly guilty. "We have no parents, so I take on jobs to be able to support the two of us. I am currently out on a job now, but because I have no one to take care of Nefriti, I bring her along. This time I lost her because I was careless."

"What was the job that you were on?" Natsu asked in the background.

"I'm looking for a murderer. His name is Edaphos, the earth mage." He said full of scorn.

"A murderer?" Mira asked.

"He has been killing people across from Fiore. He has been active for several years, but he has only recently become infamous." He chocked before he uttered his nexts words. "Our parents were also his victims five years ago." At that moment, little Nefriti started weeping, resulting into Petra embracing her to calm her down. "I have been looking for him ever since. I was so close, too, but he got away the last minute, and that is when I lost Nefriti." His voice cracked before continuing. "I thought he had gotten to her. I was so worried."

"Lucy," Gray whispered to me. "didn't your attacker use a similar type of magic?" I froze at his observation. Was a serial killer really out to get me?

"Y-yeah, it kind of does." I stepped forward and Petra's eyes were on me. "Do you know what he looks like?"

"Sadly no. He is an earth mage and one of his specialties is camouflage. No one knows what he looks like." He seemed upset at that. Who could blame him?

"Maybe we should look into this matter as well." Erza said.

"Oh no. I couldn't possibly ask you guys for help after all the trouble you've gone through." He objected.

"Lucy was attacked by a mysterious figure." Natsu said. "Its gotta be the same person. And whoever messes with my friends," He slammed his fist on the table next to him, almost crushing it into pieces and bursting it into flames, "has got another thing coming."

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**Hello again.**

**I know its been a long time but college is a lot more time consuming than I thought and dealing with three stories is brutal, but I'm trying. I feeling real great about this story and I hope you guys like it too. If you have any comments or critiques, I am more than willing to hear about them. Reviews help me out a lot, especially when I'm rushing to finish a chapter. So don't be shy. Everything and anything is useful.**

**Goodnight :)  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima. Image belongs to its rightful owner.**

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Chapter 5

The Plan

"Asuka, where are you? It's not fair!" Nefriti whined. The little ones decided to play hide-and-seek, as the adults dealt with the problem in hand. They did not need to be involved in things like that and shouldn't be. No one should.

"Nefriti, what's taking you so long?" The little brunette poked head from under the table.

"Ah-ha, found you!"

"What? No, you cheated!" Asuka cried.

"Nefriti, play nice." Petra called out. It had been three days since we met the two siblings. They spent all those day in the guild, trying to figure out who and where Edaphos is. We still had no leads whatsoever, not even another stalker situation, but that is also a good thing.

"What are the methods you have used so far to capture this criminal?" Erza asked.

Petra looked over with a surprised expression. "Well, no method really. I just kind of followed the rumors of his next attack location."

"You also mentioned that you came close to capturing him. How would you fight?" Gray asked.

"Oh yeah, you haven't told us what kind of magic you use yet." I added.

"Well, you see… I don't use magic at all." The whole guild was blown away, as slight gasps and whispers filled the silent air. "I'm a simple fighter."

"You're not a mage? How will you handle a murderer like Edaphos?" Gray protested.

"I'm a swordsman, much like Erza, but obviously much less experienced. Regardless, I can still handle myself on quests."

"My big brother is really strong." Nefriti giggled in the background. She ran to him and hugged his leg. Petra simply patted her head acknowledging her compliment.

"Nevertheless, it is to dangerous to do alone. We will assist you." Erza stated. No one really protested. Then again nobody ever goes against Erza's commands. But not the newcomers.

"No, no please. I do not want to put you through that." Petra said.

"Just like Natsu said, Lucy is apparently Edaphos' next target, so we are already involved." Mira added. It was true, we were involved, but that didn't play a part in our decision in helping them catch this criminal. But the possible fact of me being this person's next target haunted my mind, and having people worry about me concerned me, especially if its Natsu.

"Now that you mention it, where is Natsu?" I asked while looking around the guild for my pink haired friend.

"He's still looking." Mira faintly said. Sadness and worry filled my heart. Ever since the incident happened, Natsu had been going out all hours of the day tracking Edaphos down, bit he had no leads.

"Oh, I see..." I frowned.

"Regardless, we need to come up with a plan. And we also need to keep Lucy safe." Erza said. "Nefriti as well, we don't want her getting lost again."

"we could take her. Asuka and Nefriti can be together all the time and play. Something thar can occupy her while she waits for Petra." Alzack offered

"We'll take good care of her." Biscayne added.

"I want to be wig big brother!" Nefriti cried.

"Nefriti, I need to work and I can't take care of you when I do. I need you to be safe." Petra told her softly but sternly.

"Then I want to be with Lucy." She stubbornly said. She ran away from Petra and came to me, hugging me tightly with no intentions of letting go.

"I guess we know where she is going to be staying" joked Mira. " it seems she really likes you."

I looked down and saw two green orbs staring into my soul. Speechlessly, she was begging me to let her stay with me. I had no problem, but considering I was the one being targeted, I had to refuse. "Nefriti, I'm sorry but..."

"I'll stay with you." Petra interrupted me. I looked over to him and saw that he was serious, despite the smile on his face.

"Petra, you need to understand that she will be at risk. I can't let that happen."

"Like I said, I'll protect you."I guessed stubbornness runs in the family.

"I thought about it for a few seconds more. Having Petra protect me from the possible threat was okay, but having Nefriti come along was highly risky. If worse came to worse, I'd be there to protect her too, so I finally agreed. "Alright." I sighed.

"Yay. We get to stay with Lucy!" Cheered Nefriti. This time, she climbed up and wrapped her arms around my neck hugging me tight. I hesitated because of the suddenness, but I couldn't help but hug her back. "We are going to have so much fun! Right Petra?"

"Huh? Oh... yeah." A red blush appeared on his cheeks making me blush in embarrassment as well. Few people noticed and lightly laughed at the scene.

"Well then it's settled. Petra will look over Nefriti and Lucy from now on. Gray and I will continue on researching here and look for any hints on where Edaphos' location might be. Juvia and Gajeel, I need you two to look in other towns, just incase he decided to move on to his next victim. You may take more people with you if you please."

"Juvia wants to stay with Gray. May he come along instead?" Juvia requested but only received a glare from Erza making her hush.

"Thunder Legion, you're with us." Gajeel shouted out as he was exiting the guild hall.

"Laxus might not be here, but we will do all we can to assist." Free mentioned as he and his team followed Gajeel out.

"Shadow Gear will help as well. I'll stay and research with you and I'll send Jet and Droy to have an extra eye out around town." Levy offered.

"That would work perfectly. It is much appreciated." Erza said with a smile. That smile turned to a serious expression when she looked at Petra, sending chills down everyone's spine. "I trust you will keep both of them equally safe?"

"Yes." He answered with no hesitation.

"Good." Then she turned her attention towards me. "Lucy, you will not be allowed to go on any missions until further notice."

"What? But how will I pay for my rent?" I argued. Yet again, she gave one of her glares telling me to shut up and so I did. "Yes ma'am." I then remembered that Natsu and I were supposed to be leaving for our next mission and we had to catch our train in a few hours. "What do I tell Nat-"

"Hey everyone!" A familiar cheerful voice yelled. I looked over my shoulder and saw that Natsu had finally returned.

"Welcome back, Natsu. Can I get you anything?" You must be hungry." Mira asked from behind the bar.

"Nah, I'm heading out again. Lucy, come one. We're going to be late for our train." He reached out and grabbed my wrist, attempting to lead me out the guild.

"Natsu, Lucy will not be going out on missions until we catch Edaphos." Erza repeated again.

"What? Why not? I went around Magnolia to sniff him out and found nothing. He's long gone." He whined

"That may be so, but we can't risk Lucy getting hurt. Plus we already agreed on helping Petra catch him." She replied.

"Wouldn't it be better for her to be out of town? Plus how is she-"

"Just do as you're told you pyro." Gray growled coldly.

"What was that, ice princess?" Natsu growled back.

"Boys stop it, this is no time to fight." Mira tried to calm them down.

"Do not worry Natsu, I will take good care of Lucy." Petra added. Natsu looked at him, now just realizing he was there the whole time. He looked at him with a skeptical expression, as if he didn't trust him. He tensed down but walk towards Petra and stood in front of him, only inches apart. "Fine, pretty boy, I'm coming with."

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**I'm back and sorry for updating late. Things have gotten crazy and I have little time to write. But know that I am combining both Falling Stars and Eternally Yours, I will be able to focus on this piece much more.**

**Now for the story so far: **

**How are you guys liking the siblings, Petra and Nefriti? **

**They are important to the story so I just want to see what you think so I make sure not to mess up along the way.**

**Do you feel like Natsu is not getting enough credit?**

**Honestly, I hate myself for it. I love Natsu so much that I promise to include him more in the story later on. So no worries. His adorableness will be shown. **

**Anything else that bothers you in the story like my two personal observations up top, don't hesitate to speak up. I want to make his perfect, so anything at all, leave a review. Share and Favorite as well. It would really help a lot.**

**I'm off to bed now. Night night loves :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima. Image belongs to its rightful owner.**

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Chapter 6

So Close

The walk back home from the guild was a long and awkward one. Ever since the conflict between Natsu and Petra, we were all in rough water. The fortunate thing was Erza and Gray managed to pry Natsu off of Petra and calmed him down before we left. We all then reached a conclusion of keeping them as far away from each other as possible. Someone recommended Natsu to go along with Shadow gear or even the Thunder Legion, but he ended up getting singed in the face. The only other option was for Petra to lead the way, Nefriti and I walk side by side behind him and Natsu in the back.

"Can we play hide and seek when we get home?" asked the little red head, full of glee.

"Of course we can, I have a bunch of hiding spots in my house." I replied back with a smile, also putting a smile on her adorable face. I briefly looked back and saw Natsu slightly hunched over with a blank expression looking down at the ground. I couldn't help but feel bad for him. Ever since the first encounter with Edaphos he had been worried. However, once I was attacked, he became furious and went out all hours of the night looking for him. What really saddened him was the fact that once he found a job for us, he was told I couldn't go for my own safety. Suddenly, an idea popped in my head. "Hey, Natsu!" He raised his head and looked at me with curiosity. "How about after we play hide and seek, we play ninja and eat buffalo steaks and molten lava nachos!" I said teasingly.

Finally, that long awaited smile appeared on his face. "Yeah, that sounds great, Lucy!" He laughed.

"I'm afraid we are going to have to keep the fun at a down low for now. We don't want to attract too much attention." Petra bluntly said.

"Oh yeah, I guess you're right." I sighed.

"Hey, there is no need to drain all the fun out of everything. Let the girls have their fun!" Natsu complained.

"There is nothing fun about this situation we are in. Edaphos is a master of stealth and camouflage. The moment you let your guard down, he will attack. It's not like I'm doing this on purpose. I'm just trying to look out for them, unlike some people."

At that moment, Petra was held up a building wall by his shirt, Natsu looking at him with a deathly glare that I rarely ever saw. "Did you say something, pretty boy?" he growled.

"Natsu! Stop it!" I yelled.

"Big Brother!" cried Nefriti.

"See you can't even control yourself. You're a bomb just waiting to go off." she coughed back, due to the impact in the wall.

"What did you say, asshole?"

"Guys, you are scaring Nefriti! Stop it right now!" I tried to convince them, while holding Nefriti tight, trying to calm her down. "Its already dark and we have to get home soon! So can you please stop this fighting and work together?" Even if I kept talking, Natsu wouldn't listen to reason. "Natsu, please." I whispered a cry. The next thing I knew, Petra was on the ground on his knees coughing and gasping for air. I let out a sigh in relief, only to be disturbed by a scream of fear, ringing into my ear. I look over at Nefriti, who had her head buried into my chest shaking in terror. Before I could even respond, I was raised in the air and put over a shoulder.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled.

"Nefriti!" Petra followed.

With every second that passed, the distance between me and the boys grew rapidly. Even though I couldn't see who it was that grabbed me, I knew exactly that is was Edaphos. I held on to Nefriti as hard as I could making sure she didn't slip and fall out of my grasp. This was the reason that I didn't want her near me before we captured Edaphos, because I wanted to keep her out of this situation. I look up and see Natsu and Petra catching up to us, reassuring me that we would survive this.

"Bastard! Give Lucy and Nefriti back!" Natsu yelled as he released a fireball that was heading right for us.

"Idiot, do you want to hit them too!" Petra scolded, but Natsu didn't acknowledge it.

After a few more feet of running, we finally came to a hault. I was raised, turned and placed on the ground all too swiftly, preventing me from seeing his face. The moment I tried turning my head towards him, a blade threatened to cut my neck open, making me stand still, petrified. With his other hand, he grabbed Nefriti by her hair and pried her out of my hands, lifting her up in the air as she screamed in pain and fear. I tried to retrieve her, but I would choke on the blade pushing against my throat every time I tried.

"Nefriti, don't be scared. The boys will help us." I tried calming her down, but her tears and sobs would not stop. Looking back to see his face was next to impossible considering the sharp object in front of me, so I had no other choice but to look straight ahead. There, the boys had finally caught up to us and were standing only a few meters away, keeping their distance cautiously.

Once Natsu saw the situation we were in, rage shot in his eyes as flames engulfed his body. "You Asshole!" He attempted to step forward and attack, but Petra prevented him from doing so because of the fact that we were being threatened.

"Please think before you act." Petra said sternly, not keeping his eyes off Edaphos. He carefully stepped forward one step towards the light emanating from the late night street lights, the only source of light. "My name is Petra. You have my sister and a dear friend in your possession, with intentions of hurting them. Please, I ask for your mercy and release them." he said as he bowed down to one knee.

"What are you doing?" Natsu said in aggravation. "Get up and stand your ground!"

"I can't when they are in danger." He calmly said. Petra's green eyes shined in the light and glimmered with the tears that were forming in his eyes because of his worry for us. "I'll do anything!"

The blade around my neck suddenly became a little tighter, sending a sharp pain throughout my body. Nefriti's cries grew louder and louder and he still kept her dangling from her hair.

"What?" he asked in confusion. "You want me to choose?" he said after a few seconds of thinking. "Please, I can't do this." Edaphos was most definitely not a person of mercy. He was clearly toying with Petra and his feelings. He clearly didn't want anyone to get hurt, especially not in the hands of this particular criminal who has already taken so much from him. He looked up at his little sister who was writhing in pain in the air, trying to stay calm. He then looks at me in total defeat. "Lucy, I'm sor-"

"Not gonna happen!" Natsu yelled. His sudden presence surprised all of us as he came crashing down, ready to hit Edaphos. Natsu's fist to the face was more than enough to bring any opponent down, but because of the impact, Nefriti and I were both dragged along with it. The pain of falling to the ground hard faded away easily, but the stabbing pain in my shoulder wouldn't. Cringing, I finally opened my eyes and say that I was stabbed by the blade that was being held against my throat not two seconds ago. Looking a little closer, I notice that the blade was carved out of diamond, the most indestructible rock known to man. I carefully wrap my palm around the crystal and slowly pull in out. The pain was unbearable, but once it was out, I was relieved it didn't hit any veins. I look over to my left and saw Nefriti passed out on the ground. I reach out to her and pull her close to protect her from any future damage.

"You will pay for what you've done here today and all the other crimes you committed in the past." Flames started to ignite in his hands, step by step getting closer to Edaphos. "So what do you say? Wanna play?" Edaphos once again stood his ground again, never leaving the shadows. Even without a face, it seemed he was unfazed by Natsu's intimidation. With a simple flick of the wrist, Edaphos shot stone blades in Natsu's direction, but thankfully, he was able to dodge it with one jump. "Why you little." He grunted. In the air he finally noticed that Edaphos's little attack was just a distraction to escape.

"Natsu, he's gonna…."

"I know I got him." He said once he finally landed. "Hey, come back here!" and he started running. Just before he got too far, he turned around and called out to Petra. "Make sure you take care of them! And I mean BOTH of them!" And he started running again.

"Be careful, Natsu!" I yelled before he also disappeared into the darkness.

"Lucy!" Petra called out. I look up and see him hunched over me with an expression full of worry. "You're hurt! How's Nefriti?"

"She's fine, I think she just hit her head a little too hard. Me, I think I just lost a little too much blood." I said as I look down to my left shoulder that was now filled with crimson red stains.

"I have to take you back home to clean this." He crouched on one knee and swiftly picked me up in his arms.

"You don't have to carry me!" I said full of embarrassment.

"Nonsense, you are badly hurt. Plus this is my fault that this happened, so don't worry." His voice was full of guilt, but he ended with his sweet smile, making me blush. Even though I repeatedly told him I was able to walk, he carried both me and Nefriti all the way home.

* * *

"This might sting a little." Petra said before applying the cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol on my wounded shoulder. I left out a slight hiss from the pain. He apologized over and over again, but I kept reassuring him it was alright. To make the stinging more bearable, he would slightly blow on it, sending shivers down my spine. "There all done."

"Thank you, but I could have done it myself." I said shyly.

"I wanted to do it." He smiled, making me smile as well. But that smile didn't last long as I turned my head to look over at Nefriti who was asleep on my bed. Petra the suddenly touched my chin and turned my head back, making me look into his gorgeous emerald eyes. "Don't worry yourself. She's alright."

"I know but I could have done something…"

"That is my line. Don't blame yourself for things you can't control."

"You should take your own advise, Mr. Hypocrite." I laughed.

"True." He laughed, but soon, his expression turned serious. "Lucy, I wanted to apologize about what happened back there."

"What do you mean?" I asked confusingly

"The moment where Edaphos had me choose who to save… I just had to. You understand, right?" he asked desperately.

"Of course I understand!" I grabbed his hand and pulled it close to my chest. "Your sister should always come first! I would never question your decision, even if it means me being put at risk." I said trying to make him feel better, but the sad expression on his face remaind.

"Lucy…" he said with just a whisper. "I don't want you to be in danger."

"Don't worry…" I squeezed his hand in my in reassurance. "I'm a Fairy Tail wizard. I can take care of myself."

"Lucy…" I look up to see his face. All I saw were his radiating emerald green eyes staring into mine. With the palm of his hand, he gently placed in on my face. Before I knew it, his lips were on my own. At first I was shocked, but another part of me expected it to happen. After the innocent kiss, he parted and looked away in embarrassment. "S-sorry." he stuttered.

"N-no, its fine." I said as I blushed , what was most definitely, a bright red.

"We should get some sleep." He said in the most awkward was possible, making me giggle a bit.

My bed was a decent size to fit two people, so the already sleeping Nefriti and I layed together while Petra slept on the floor besides the bed. I had insisted he should sleep in the bed, considering they were my guests, but he stated he would not let an injured person sleep on the floor. Already tucked in, I look out of the window next to my bed, up at the big bright moon of the night, worrying about Natsu and wondering where he could have gone. The thought of him facing Edaphos all alone in the night sent shivers all throughout my body. At that moment, I was hoping he would climb the side of the building and crawl through the window just to see his goody smirk, one more time, and to know that he is alright. "Please be okay." I wished as I closed my eyes.

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**Hey everyone!**

**I'm finally back, with an extra long chapter so apologize for not updating sooner. College is taking up way too much time and I also hand write my stories when I get writer's block, but what I was writing was also not very good. So I decided to get my shit together and finally piece this baby together. And there you have it. Now its finally time to go to bed after 36 hours of no sleep. Again Like, Share and Review as always. **

**I'd like to give a shout out to those who go out of their way to write some criticism and also to those who suggest ideas. It really helps. **

**+There will be a bonus chapter next chapter if this story receives 50 followers and also ****close to 30 favorites. This chapter will be a brief insight on Natsu and his chase after Edaphos.**

**Heart,**

**Avgi**


	7. Chapter 7

**Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima. Image belongs to its rightful owner.**

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Chapter 7

I'll Keep You Safe

Natsu was angry. Not only angry, he was furious. All because he still hadn't caught Edaphos and make him pay for what he had done. He ran through the forest as fast as he could, trying not to lose sight of his target. Natsu always depended on his sense of smell just as much as he depends on his sight and hearing, but for some reason he could not pick up any sent from Edaphos. That only meant he could not lose sight of him.

Edaphos seemed like a very fast runner. He was also very agile, swiftly avoiding running into trees. Natsu had to admit, he was having a difficult time catching him, but he wasn't about to give up yet. "Get over here and fight me like a true wizard!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. He was a few meters away from reaching out and grabbing the murderer who dared hurt the innocent, especially Lucy. Images of her after the incidents and the torture she had gone through made him rage with anger. Flames would slowly start to spark from his body from his rage, only to ignite the trees around him. He noticed what he was doing but could not afford to lose Edaphos. "_You've got to calm down. Don't want to start a forest fire."_ he thought to himself, slowly cooling down.

It was extremely dark, but that didn't stop Natsu from seeing and hearing the stone blades being thrown at him. With a swift jump, Natsu avoided all of them and kept running after him. "Sneaky bastard, is that all you got?" Not a second later, one more blade was thrown, grazing him on his left forearm. He let out a hiss in pain. "That mother-..." he growled. At that moment he gave everything he had into running, faster than his legs could keep up with and finally caught up to Edaphos, welcoming him with a punch. "Caught you, you little bitch." He kept on punching the criminal senseless, enjoying every moment he was inflicting pain onto him, although something felt off. Natsu wondered why he wasn't fighting back and why he wasn't at least defending himself. "_Did I go too far?"_ he thought. "Hey! I'm not done with you yet! Wake up! You still need to pay for what you have done." he said as he shook Edaphos in his grasp. Before his eyes, his body became dust that fell through his fingers. "What the-?" Natsu gasped. "_Is he even human? How did he-?" _Thoughts kept running through his mind trying to figure out what had just happened. "_No, it wasn't him from the beginning. It was a decoy. He tried to get me away from them."_ The sudden realization made Natsu jolt up. "Lucy!"

In the distance, the sun started to rise, shining its pure and radiating light upon Magnolia. Relief overflowed Natsu as he let out a heavy sigh. "She's safe, for now." He looked over his shoulder and saw the pile of dust that was once the copy of the body of Edaphos. A breeze found its way through the trees, sweeping the dust little by little until there was nothing. Uneasiness was the only emotion Natsu could feel, now that he knows that his enemy is still on the loose. "What is going on?" he asked, puzzled by the situation. He looked back at his beloved city with a concerned expression, thinking he has once again failed again. But just like all the other times, he would never lose hope. He would not give up on his search for Edaphos and put a stop to his crimes and he would surely not let Lucy ever get hurt again. "I'll keep you safe, Luce."

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**Hello again!**

**As promised, I have this brief chapter of Natsu's chase to capture Edaphos. **

**Just another way of saying thank you for the support and the love you guys give me. I really appreciate it. This is for you guys.**

**-Avgi**


	8. Chapter 8

**All things Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima. Picture also belongs to its rightful owner.**

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Chapter 8

It's Just a Scratch

The kiss with Petra kept replaying in my mind as the three of us made our way back to the guild. He seemed shy about the whole thing yet he still went for it. Not only that, but he also apologized afterwards. I didn't know what to think of it. And there was also the fact that we barely knew each other. sure immediate attractions happen, but he is Fairy Tail's client, I cannot spend time dating him when we're are trying to capture a murderer. I also don't know if I like him because I like him or because he approached me first.

"Lucy?" Hearing my name immediately snapped me back to reality. I felt a small tug on my arm and so I looked down and saw a very happy Nefriti. She put her little hand over her mouth and blocked out her voice "Earth to Lucy, over!" she giggled out loud, making me smile.

Thinking nothing more of last night, I put my hand over my mouth and played along with her little game "Roger, Huston, we do not have a problem, over!" I mumbled, making her laugh even more.

"I see you guys are having fun." Petra said while looking over to us with a smile on his face.

I take my hand off of my mouth and said shyly, "Oh um, yeah, just playing."

"I wanna play more!" Nefriti announced in joy, while still tugging on my arm.

"Nefriti, I think you need to take it a little more easy. You hurt your head last night a little hard, I don't want you getting worse." Petra said in a caring but worried way.

"Can I play with Asuka later?" She asked with a pout, hoping he would agree.

"Yes but not too rough." He said not able to say no.

"Yay!" with a fling of her hand, she let go of mine and started running ahead making her way to the close by Guild Hall.

Smiling at her childlike behavior, I looked over at her brother and saw that he had a pained expression. Feeling bad I put my hand on his shoulder. He looked over to me and I quickly took my hand away in embarrassment when he looked into my eyes. "I just wanted to see if you were okay…" I said.

Trying to put a smile on he said, "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. I'm just thinking about her after what happened last night." His saddened face came back within seconds, making me worry as well.

"Yeah, it must have been traumatizing." I said while keeping an eye on her making sure I don't lose sight of her. "She seems fine though." I smiled, hoping it would make him feel a little better.

"Yeah, but I don't know if shes faking it."

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion.

"She's been in a situation like this before." My eyes shot at him in pure horror. Before could ask, he continued on. "It was when my family was attacked. I was away doing chores for my mother, and when I had returned my house was in crumbles and there he was standing, Edaphos with my parents laid around him dead. When I could finally react, I took a few step forward to attack him when I saw my sister in his arms, totally unconscious. I had never been more afraid in my life." His voice shook. "I begged for him to let her go but he would not respond. He simply crafted a blade from his arm and slit her throat, dropped her on the ground and vanished." I put my hands over my mouth and gasped in horror, not wanting to believe it was true. "Nefriti was really lucky to have survived. He had just missed her arteries and so I took her to one of my neighbors who was a specialist in medicine and was able to treat her to full health." He clenched his fist in anger. "I promised her I would never leave her alone and that I would always protect her and yet it happened again last night." Tears started to form in his eyes, trying to hold it in. "Everytime something happens, she just smiles like everything is all right. I don't want her to bottle her feelings up. I don't want this experience to affect the rest of her life. I want what is best for her." A single tear escaped him making him look away from me in shame.

I was speechless from his backstory. They had both experienced such a horrible past that I could never imagine. And there Petra was, a full grown man crying in front of me. I didn't know what to do. A moment of silence and soft sobbing filled the early morning air, until I spoke, "Petra it's going to-"

"Petra, Lucy come quick!" Nefriti yelled in the distance making us both jolt and prepared. we listened from where we heard her voice and saw that she was at the opened Guild Hall doors, safe and sound, giving us a sense of relief. Without hesitation, we both picked up the pace and headed for the Guild.

* * *

The Guild Hall was in a bigger havoc than I had ever seen before. Everyone seemed they were in a massive argument growing louder and louder and people tried to get their voices threw. We stepped in deeper within the crowd, pushing and shoving people away and found our way to the root of the argument. There stood Erza, Gray, The Thunder Legion, Shadow Gear and the Strauss Siblings. Each of them were trying to calm everyone down while also complaining back.

"We found him in the norther part of Fiore!"

"What are you talking about? I found him in the southern part!"

"Thats ridiculous, he wasn't even in Fiore!"

"Please everyone, calm down." Erza tried to reason with them. "We need to figure this out in a more orderly manner." But no one would listen.

"Listen punk, I found him. I know what I saw. You are just a liar who is trying to get attention!" Someone yelled.

"Oh yeah, well I think you are the liar, jackass!" The other person spat back.

"Would you guys just knock it off." This time Gray attempted to say. "We can't work with all of this noise!"

The massive argument seemed to be never ending. As it kept escalating we heard people mention over fifty location where they had spotted Edaphos, but it seemed on one was able to get a hold of him.

"Nefriti! Over here!" The playful voice of Asuka was heard in the distance. Nefriti smiled and quickly skipped over to play with her friend. they gave each other a hug before dropping to their knees and started playing with their toys. I noticed Nefriti's hair kept falling into her eyes as she was bending over and was becoming quite agitated. "Here you go!" Asuka held out her hand with held a hair tie. Nefriti thanked her and started to tie her long curly hair when I spotted a scar on her petite little neck. Realizing what it was, my heart sank in sadness. "Huh, Nefriti, what is that?" Asuka pointed at the slash on her neck.

"Huh?" Nefriti asked not knowing what she was talking about when she finally realized where she was pointing at. "Oh, its just a scratch." she smiled.

I quickly looked over at Petra and noticed he still had that hurt expression on his face from before, and I knew he just saw what I just saw. I finally understood why he was so worried about her. The story he had told me before still frightened me and only made me feel bad for them. I didn't know what to say anymore. In honesty, there was nothing anybody could say.

The ranting kept growing stronger and stronger when suddenly the doors to the guild flung open. The Guild stopped the argument and turned they attention to the figure standing at the entrance.

"Natsu!" I said i relief "_Thank God he's okay"_

He seemed completely focused when he finally spoke. "Last night, I found him and caught him." The whole Guild gasped in amazement, but they just jumped back into the argument from before.

"Yeah right. So did everyone else in the Guild." someone brushed him off.

"That's exactly it. They were all clones. The real one is still hiding."

* * *

**Hello again!**

**It's been a while I know, but this story is really troubling on how it is going to be mapped out. I originally had an idea and as I keep thinking about knew things they get mixed up and when I actually start writing, I end up just going with the flow. All in all, nothing works. So here is my project from the past hour and a half. Hope you like it! **

**Also, I would like to thank you guys for 5000+ views! I can't believe so many of you have seen my stories and my horrible writing skills. I feel ashamed. *hides away in embarrassment. Honestly though, it means a lot. I love you guys.**

**As always Favorite Follow and Review!**

**-Avgi**


	9. Chapter 9

**Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima. Image belongs to its rightful owner.**

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Chapter 9

Split Up

"What do you mean he is still hiding." Erza questioned.

"Exactly that. I caught him last night, but it was just a fake." He took a few step in within the guild until he was finally in the center of the room. "The minute I bashed his face in, he turned into sand and blew away into the wind."

"Yeah right! Like who will believe that story." Someone in the distance yelled. It was a little stretched to believe that, but I still believed him.

"Do you have something better to share with us rather than just seeing his shadow and then gone?" He growled back at him immediately shutting him up.

"Regardless, we have no leads to where the real one is. What do we do now?" asked Levy in the background.

"I'm not so sure we _can _do something but wait." Erza answered. "We know for sure after last night that he is after Lucy. We don't know when he will strike again, but he have to wait until he does."

"So we just keep using Lucy as bait? That's messed up! No happening!" Natsu complained in aggravation.

"Its risky, I know, but we cannot risk going on another wild goose chase either only to be tricked by him again." Erza replied calmly. She was right. We couldn't afford letting slip between our fingers again, even if it meant putting myself at risk.

"I'll do it." I spoke up. Everyone's attention soon turned towards me. Some were unfazed, but others were completely surprised at my sudden announcement.

"What?" Natsu asked in concern.

"Are you sure Lucy?" Levy followed along. "It's dangerous Lu, we don't want you getting hurt…or worse…" she managed to say, sadness in her face.

"Of course I can. Its only my duty as a Fairy Tail Wizard." I tried to smile to ensure that it was okay with me. Indeed it was, but I was also a little hesitant. Who wouldn't be? I've faced this man before and he is no someone to play around with.

"Do not worry." Petra called out. I turn to see he was still standing next to me. He gently placed his hand on my shoulder in a protective manner. "I will protect Lucy, no matter what!" He confidently said, making me uncontrollably blush.

Natsu looked over to Petra with a serious look on his face. He started walking towards our direction, each step creating more and more tension. "What makes you think that, pretty boy?" He snarled.

"Natsu stop!" I tried telling him, hoping it will ease the tension between the two boys.

"I always had and I always will." He said in reply.

"I still don't trust you, so that is out of the question." Natsu said a little more calmly.

"This is no time for fighting between us. We still need to find this guy!" I continued.

"Lucy is right, there is no reason to bicker." The two broke off and looked over at Erza. "We will come up with the best and safest solution there is." She looked at the two boys with serious eyes until she finally spoke again. "Petra, I am sorry, but we cannot allow clients doing our job. We will have to have someone accompany you, adding extra protection on Lucy and Nefriti."

"But last time he was protecting them, he almost gave one up! We can't risk that!" Natsu shouted back.

The redhead soon threw a glare at Natsu, instantaneously silencing him. "That is why he will be accompanied." She turned her head and looked over her shoulder. "Gray, you will stand watch over them."

"What? You're gonna have the ice- princ..."

"Shut is Natsu, we are trying to solve the problem and you are making it worse with your complaining." Gray interrupted him. As usual, after a clash of words, the boys would break out into a physical fight, however, instead of Natsu reacting, he stayed silent, but fury could be seen raging around him.

"Natsu, you will remain in the center of Magnolia. As for the rest of the dragon slayers, they will surround the border of the city. Team Shadow Gear, Thunder Legion and everyone else will be scattered around town. There wont be a single alley unattended for him to escape." Erza ordered the entire guild. "As for the rest of Fiore, I will notify the master to warn the rest of the guilds around the kingdom. Remember, act on anything that seems suspicious. And stay safe." And with that, everyone disbursed. I look over to the two little girls playing in the corner, big smiles on their faces, unfazed by the chaos that is happening. I then see Asuka's parents close by with worried expressions on their faces. I slowly started walking towards them and overheard them talking about something

"We need a safe place for her."

"But where? The whole guild is off on this mission and we need to go soon too."

"We can't leave her in a day care. What if the psycho decides to take little kids hostage?"

"I'm worried Alzac." Bisca sniffled.

"I know, I know." Alzack hushed her, gently pulling her into an embrace.

"Sorry… to interrupt." they both looked at me in surprise. "I could help but overhear… I was just wondering if you didn't have a place to keep Asuka, maybe we could take her." She gets along well with Nefriti, maybe it…"

"Sorry Lucy, although it s sweet and we trust you with our little girl's safety, but considering the circumstances, we don't think its the best choice." Alzack tried to sound compassionate.

"What Alzack is trying to say is, we just think that you should focus on your own safety right now rather than someone elses. We appreciate the thought and the offer, Lucy." Bisca smiled before picking up Asuka and walking out of the guild with her husband walking right behind.

"Bye Asuka, lets play again tomorrow!" Nefriti yelled as she waved her friend goodbye.

"Ready to go?" Petra asked his little sister.

"Yeah!" she said as she jumped into his embrace.

"Ready?" He asked me. I give a slight nod and followed them to the guild doors. On our way there I noticed Natsu in the distance talking, or more rather complaining to Erza and the others, but I could not quite make out what he was saying. He then turned his attention to us with a frustrated expression. I gave a worried look back and before I could say anything he turned around and headed further into the guild.

* * *

**I am back with this update :) I apologize for the long wait but here it finally is! I'm heading home tomorrow and I can't wait to write more! So tell me my lovely Fairy Tail Fans. What do you think of the 1 year time skip and the new adventures team Natsu are facing? I AM LOVING IT! **

**Let me know what you guys think! Its been so long since I've talked to you guys. I'd love to discuss and get new inspiration :D**

**Loves**

**-Avgi**


	10. Chapter 10

**Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima. Image belongs to its rightful owner.**

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Chapter 10

Stop!

It was about 9 o'clock after returning home from the guild. We were held up by Gray because he discussed some issues and more information with Erza. The Master had also returned from the council meeting and was updated with what was happening. Concerned with what had been arranged, he had asked to have a private meeting with him. I walked towards him, while everyone else walked away to give us privacy. He wanted to make sure that I was okay with me being the target for a while longer until we captured Edaphos. Of course I said yes, but everyone reassuring with me made me more and more hesitant, but there was nothing I could do. It was my duty.

The walk home that night was a little more lively. Nefriti was skipping along beside me and Petra and Gray were chatting away in the front. I couldn't make out what they were talking about most of the time but I did over hear them laugh at the comments they exchanged. I tried listening a little closer and faint signs of Natsu's name kept popping up. They were apparently making fun of him and teasing the fact that he is short tempered.

It was nice that Petra and Gray were bonding, but that was the wrong reason to bond over, so I decided to speak up. "You know, he's not as bad as you guys put him out to be…" I said a little loudly but hesitantly. They both looked back at me and started to laugh even louder.

"That pyro is nothing more than a ball of disaster." Gray said between his laughter.

"I don't know him that well, but he is very unstable and irresponsible." Petra added.

"Sure he might be all that, but he is a good person. He's been out chasing Edaphos with everything he's got and almost caught him. He's the reason we have more information on him. What has anybody else done?" That statement shut them both up. "Gray, I know you guys always fight, but you guys are actually really good friends, and that is not what friends do." I said to Gray with a rather comforting voice, trying not to make it sound harsh. "And Petra, he is actually an amazing wizard. He has done so much and saved me so many times that I can never doubt him. I trust him, ever since I entered the guild." After I finished my sentence, his eyes widened in amazement. I guess he didn't expect such a speech out of no where.

There was a moment of silence until Petra finally spoke. "You're are completely right, Lucy. I apologize for my rude behavior." He said in a kind voice.

"Yeah, I guess I'm sorry too…" Gray trailed off, obviously trying to hid the fact that he really was sorry which made me giggle a bit.

"Its okay. Let's just keep going, it's getting rather late." I smiled sweetly at the two boys.

We finally reached my home and entered through the door. I headed to the kitchen with the intention to cook for everyone which they all gladly appreciated. It took about forty-five minutes for the pasta to boil and the sauce to cook. As soon as I turned around to serve the table. Gray was passed out on the armchair, as well as Nefriti. The sight was adorable it made me smile. Petra was sitting at the table politely smiling back at me as he patiently waited for the food.

"They sure seem to be comfy." I joked to him.

"Yeah, they both said they were tired, so I told Gray I could take the first shift. He looked over his shoulder in order to have full view of them. Nefriti then climbed up on him because she saw his necklace and looked interesting. The minute she did, she fell right to sleep." He said and turned his attention back to me.

"Oh wow, I can't believe I missed so much." I laughed.

"So, what's for dinner?" He asked with excitement.

"Pasta!" I played off with a 'tada' effect.

"Delicious. Come, sit!"

I placed the plates in front of each of us and served the pasta. Bite by bite, our food began to run out and our conversation grew more interesting with every word. I was surprised the two sleeping didn't wake up at our loud conversation. We talked about our lives before they drastically changed. I told him about all the adventures that Fairy Tail and I went on and the dangers that we faced. I never told him about my childhood or my family problems, but I did mention that I had also lost my parents. Although all the trouble and losses that we had both experienced in our lives, it was nice to just unwind and talk about the positives.

"Wow, you are just…" He said with amazement that caught my attention. "...amazing." I slightly blushed at his statement but couldn't respond but with a single nod, indicating I accepted his compliment. I quickly got up from the chair and started cleaning up the dirty dishes from the table and headed for the sink to start washing, but to also avoid him. I was too embarrassed. Especially after that kiss we shared the night before.

I opened the faucet and let the water run for a bit until it was hot. I poured dish soap onto the dirty plates and started scrubbing. I was too frazzled by the thought of Petra kissing me and complimenting me possibly flirting with me, I didn't even realize that he was right behind me. Before I could react, He was leaning over me, his hands wrap around me and his lips kiss my neck, making me shiver at the action. "Stop." I whispered to him, trying not to make a scene, but he continued. From a light peck, it evolved into a hickey and his hands began to pull up my shirt ever so slowly. I asked him to stop again but a little louder and a little more force into my voice but he still didn't listen. He sucked harder on my neck, feeling the blood pound against my skin, and my shirt was well about off before I turned forcefully and dropped all of the plates, all shattering on the kitchen floor. "I said stop!" I practically yelled.

He backed away a bit from the push I gave him. A second past and I pulled down my shirt and placed my hand over the hickey that possibly already formed on my neck and looked at him a bit annoyed. That annoyance instantly turned to fear as I saw his expression turned to that of anger. "Petra…?" I hesitantly called out to him, but in a matter of an instant I was pushed against the fridge.

I let out a scream of pain at the sudden impact, but what made want to scream in fear was his voice yelling in my ear. "What did you say to me?" The grip around my wrists became tighter and the ringing in my ear still lingered. I open my eyes ever so slightly and looked over at Gray who was still sleeping peacefully on the armchair, with Nefriti no where in sight.

I wondered why he had still not woken up despite all the ruckus that was going on. I looked up at Petra once again and saw that he was staring at me in complete rage. "What did you do to him?" I asked sheepishly, trying not to drive him over the edge.

He slightly laughed before returning back to his serious face. "He's still alive, for now. But that depends on you."

"What do you mean?" I wondered why Petra was acting this way. Why was he so aggressive? Why was he threatening me? And why did he look so evil. Not wanting to believe it was true I still asked him, "Are you…" I hesitantly began to ask, "working with Edaphos." There was no other real explanation, but I still didn't want it to be true.

"If I'm working with Edaphos?" He asked my own question. With a snicker he shook his head. "I'm not working with him. I AM him." My eyes widened in horror. He was the murderer all along. He was Edaphos.

"What?"

With a quick move I was facing forward onto the fridge and my arms were behind my back, held firmly by him. He leaned into my ear and spoke with a soft voice that seemed even more intimidating. "And you are finally mine!"

He pulled me off of the fridge and led me towards the bed. Just as we were crossing the living room, I saw gray still passed out. I called out to him desperately "Gray!" over and over again, but he never responded. I was forcefully pushed onto my bed as Petra hovered over me, each of us facing one another. "What do you mean, I'm yours?" I asked scornfully.

"They laid out the bait, and I just took what was mine." He snickered.

"So what? Got lonely and want a girlfriend now?" As soon as I finished my sentence, I started to kick and punch uncontrollably hoping to catch him by surprise, but he was unfazed by my action and pinned me down effortlessly.

"How did you know?" He said with a slither. "But I don't play the loving boyfriend part."

"Brother?" Both of our attention turned to the little red headed girl in the middle of the room who seemed to had just gotten out of the bathroom.

"Nefriti!" I said in relief.

"What are you doing brother?" Nefriti asked in total confusion of the situation.

"Just playing games, Nefriti." Petra said as he slowly got off of me and releiced me from his hold.

"Yeah right, you jerk!" I quickly pushed him off and ran towards the little girl and held her in my arms protectively. "Don't worry Nefriti. I'll keep you safe from him."

"Lucy?" the little girl questioned.

"You won't get away with this." I threatened the murderer that was standing in the middle of my home, acting as if nothing had happened. I grabbed on to my keys, ready for any sudden movements from him.

"What do you say, Nefriti? Wanna play too?" I raised my eyebrow at his peculiar response when I looked back at the little girl and saw that she was completely still and unresponsive.

"Nefriti?" I asked for a response.

There was moment of silence when she finally spoke. "Yes big brother."

At the shock of her response, I began to take my hand away from her but was quickly tamed by a form of solid that wrapped around my wrist. I look back at the little girl and saw an evil gleam in her eye as she stared back at me. From behind her back I noticed something sticking out that connected to my hand. She was a manipulator of earth I thought to myself. Rustling the keys with my free hand, I was desperately looking for Virgo's key, thinking that it was appropriate for this situation. The clinking of the metal grabbed the little girls attention and quickly reacted. Within an instant, my free hand was also restrained and pulled away from my belt pocket, my keys slipping from my fingers. The restraints started to grow up my arm and onto my shoulder weighing me down so much that I fell hard on the ground.

As the solid formed down my back I looked up at the man in front of me. He leaned down to me and met my gaze with a triumphal grin on his face. "Well done, Nefriti." He raised his hand and gently caressed my jaw with his finger and ending to my chin, raising it ever so slightly. "Do not worry, it will all be over soon."

I wanted to break out of my stone cage but I all of a sudden felt weakened. The air grew thin and my vision started to blur. "You… won't get a-... way… with…" Next thing I knew, everything went black.

I was passed out, but there were moments where I could hear voices around me. I desperately tried to snap out of it, but I felt exhausted. There was a steady breathing of a child near by and two male voices that were in conversation."

"Do not worry. I will stay with them." The voice belonged to Petra. I recalled what had happened the night before, but even my anger could not wake me.

"Dude you've been up all night. Let me stay behind with them. Damn, I can't believe I just passed out like that." It was Gray. He had awoken and sounded okay, which relieved me but I was still aware that he was in the room with a murderer with me unconscious.

"Do not worry. I am perfectly fine. You needed your rest. I will simply receive mine tonight. They were exhausted and I think because of this unfortunate condition that they both experienced, I think we should let them rest." All because of you.

"Yeah I guess you're right." No! Don't listen to him! "Well I do need to go to the guild and help Erza with any new information people came up with last night. It's a good thing we weren't attacked again." Footsteps walking away could be heard, making me feel completely helpless. No! Don't go! "I'll see you at the guild. Come over as soon as they wake up. Alright?" Gray said as he opened the front door and stepped out, his voice sounding fainter and fainter.

"Certainly." And with a sound of a closing door, my only hope disappeared. "How long until she awakes?" Petra asked with a totally different voice from before.

"Should be another hour or two." To my surprise, the voice of Nefriti was closer that I had suspected. She must had been laying right next to me the entire time. "The Ice Man, was only gassed forty-five minutes before she was, and because of her more delicate body and low endurance, it would take more time for it to wear off."

"Excellent!" He said, coming closer and closer.

"Did I do well, brother?"

I felt a hand brush of my hair to the side and a body sitting right next to my laying one. "Very well indeed."

* * *

**hahaha! Bet most of you saw this coming. I'm pretty obvious when it comes to this stuff. But hey we are here now, and this is just the beginning! ;D**

**Sooo... can someone tell me what they think that special announcement in the next chapter of Fairy Tail is all about...? I'm just so anxious and eager to know! Hiro Mashima! You must tell me!**

**Anyway I must go now! Favorite, Follow and Review! Byeeezzz**

**-Avgi**


	11. Chapter 11

**Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima. Image belongs to its rightful owner.**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**No Choice**

My eyes finally fluttered open, the ceiling the only thing I could see. The morning light shined through the window the birds and the conversations of passing people set the atmosphere just like every morning. It seemed peaceful but I knew that hell had broken loose here last night, in this very room. I quickly sat up in order to look around for the murderer that overpowered me last night but saw no one. The fear lingered in the back of my mind, triggering the headache that suddenly striked. I let out a light groan as I raised my hand to my head, lightly massaging it.

I looked around my opened space apartment and saw no one. Petra and Nefriti were no where to be seen. They attacked me last night. They knocked me and Gray out. "Gray!" I remembered earlier in the morning he woke up and left with no clue of Petra's true identity. He mentioned he was going to go to the guild and talk to Erza and the others of any new information.

With that in mind I uncovered my self from my bed covers in order to get to my bureau to get dressed when suddenly the doorknob to the bathroom twisted and a figure emerged from the bathroom. Petra. To each our surprise we locked eyes. I was quick to act and jumped out of bed. I was so close to grabbing my desk chair to use as a weapon but found myself on my bed once again, with him on top of me, pinning me down. My eyes were closed from the impact but I soon open them and see his face looking down at me with a smirk on his face. Angered, I try to free my hands that were placed on either side of my head but he was far too strong. He only laughed at my attempt.

"What made you think things would be different the next morning?" He asked in a mocking way that irritated me even more than before.

"It doesn't matter. I'll fight back until you are stopped." I replied back, voice full of malisse. I struggled even more so than before.

"Well that just won't do now, will it?" To my surprise, He let my hands loose and backed away from me, leaving me on my bed, confused once more. I sit up and look at him, one eyebrow raised. He simply stood there, his hands up in surrender.

I slowly stand up, only a few feet away from him and stare, studying him on what his intentions were. In my mind, I was thinking the worst and looked for many ways to defend myself and run away from him. But he just stood there, still with that smirk plastered on his face.

"Now that definitely was not a smart move." I said sounding a little confident yet with caution. I slowly walked around the room in attempt to get far away from him as possible and find myself on the other side of the dining table, yet he still did not move.

"Ha, yet I still outsmarted your whole guild." That statement angered me. He was making fun of us.

"You didn't outsmart us! You are a coward with his tail between his legs!" I shouted out of spite.

"I outsmarted them when they believed me to be hunting Edaphos." He turned in my direction slowly taking steps towards me, making me taking steps back to keep my distance from him. "I outsmarted them when they let me take care of you by myself." I quickly turn to the front door and reach out for the door knob. I expected him to lock it so I don't run off, but I never expected to see it missing from the door. Shock surged through me for my last option to get away from him slipped through my fingers. I turn back to face him where I found him standing right infront of me, staring intensively at me. "And lets not forget how I outsmarted you about everything." I leaned against the door in hopes to get farther away from him, but the flat surface barricaded me between it and him. "At least everyone else was in the right mind to question me and have me earn their trust, but you just fell right into the sad sister brother act. Priceless."

His mocking that concerned the guild caused my blood to boil. Anybody mocking Fairy Tail angered me and everyone else in the guild felt the same way. But at that moment I had to admit that I was naive. I hated myself for trusting him so easily, someone this terrible. He tricked me by telling me things that I wanted to hear. How we both had difficult pasts, how both of our parents were no longer around, everything was just his way of earning my trust and I fell for everything in a blink of an eye. I suddenly felt something hot trickle down my cheek. A tear I most definitely. I could tell by how choked up I was to even make a sound.

"Oh, come now. Don't cry. You'll ruin that beautiful face of yours." As he reached for my face to probably wipe of my tear, I quickly turn my head away from him, looking down at the floor in the distance. His hand still come closer and closer until it reached a gently grabbed my hair that was draping over my face. I flinch for a second but attempt to make no more sudden movements that would provoke him. He leaned in close towards me, and ever so slightly sniffed my hair. "Mmm, so sweet." He whispered under his breath. His body continued to lean closer to mine until his face was buried into my shoulder, his heavy breathing on my skin making me wince.

Not wasting another second with him on me, I slightly push him aside while he had his guard down and ran back into my home, trying to get away from him. He wasn't running after me, but he still followed me at a slow pace that scared me even more. I tose any furniture I could find in the path behind me in hopes of slowing him down. I look back in front of me and notice the sunny day shining through the window. The window! I make a run for the window, wishing I was dead on the sidewalk rather than be here for another minute with this creep, but was quickly halted. A sudden pressure surrounded my feet and as I looked down, I saw the same material that restrained me last night. I then noticed clearer detail that the stone like substance was tinted green and it shined in the sunlight. The shiny surface then was engulfed in shadows. I turn my head back to where the window was and saw Petra who had just closed the shades. I look over to his hand that was playing with what was probably the window handle.

"Why must you always fight back? It's already over." He tossed the handle away in the distance.

"How are you doing this?" I looked down at my feet to motion to what I was talking about. He did not reply right away. Instead he raised his right hand to his waist level. Not a second passed when I felt the pressure from before suddenly vanished. I look down and notice the rock that was keeping me in place had become much softer and was heading towards Petra. All of it started to concentrate in one area that was right below his palm of his slightly raise hand. It slowly started to rise, molding into something very familiar. A little girl's bod. The stone started to change color and the little girl's long curly hair changed into a copper red shade. The minute she opened her eyes, those green eyes pierced through my heart.

"Nefriti." I whispered.

"My beloved sister." The palm that he held up was now resting on her little head.

"How is she…?" she wasn't even human.

"Maybe further explanation is needed." Petra reached into his white shirt and pulled out what looked like a necklace. On a thin piece of string hung a small green rock, the same from before. "This precious stone is a jade. As an earth mage, I have the ability to control anything that comes from it. May it be small, I can make it into a colossal mountain. May it be liquid or solid, multiple or singular, I can make either so."

"So Nefriti is the stone. You just made her appearance with your magic."

"Precisely. Nefriti in ancient language means jade. My little sister."

"But it doesn't make sense! You say she's your sister. Flesh and bone! How is she alive when she is nothing but stone? A statue!" He laughed at my question as if the information I didn't understand was clear as day.

"Life is a beautiful thing. Is it not?" He puts his necklace back into his shirt and starts walking towards me once more. "Earth is the sustainer of life. Without it, none of us would be here. It is also what created life in the first place." As he looked into my eyes, his facial expression drastically changed into something sinister, nothing like I've ever seen before. "It also has the power to destroy it." I shiver at his sentence. "I too hold that power. I create, sustain, and destroy."

"If you cherish life so much, why do you kill? You've killed so many lives that the Earth created with what purpose? Why?" I cried out, thinking of all those innocent lives that fell prey to him.

He chuckled. "I just see the destroying faze much more entertaining." He was insane. I was scared before, even when I didn't know Edaphos' true identity, but now, I was truly terrified. His magic was truly to be feared. His intentions were maniacal. I didn't know what to do. I needed help.

Again, he reached for my face, gently cupping it in his large hand. "Such beauty. Such a beautiful diamond."

I subconsciously reach down to my waist where my keys usually are, but of course there were not there. Even if I noticed this before, I'd still look to my spirits for help. What I didn't understand was why they had yet to pass through the gate and help me as they have do so before. Where was Loke, Aquarius? Anyone!

"They can't help you now." My eyes jolt wide open. He raised in front of me another stone tied on a frail strand of string. A diamond. "Such power that a small piece of rock can hold. Ten of the twelve gate keys equal to the magical stone that even the most powerful magic can't live up to." He snickered.

"What do you mean? What did you do to them?" Panic arose. If anything had ever happened to my spirits, I didn't know what I would do.

"I simply locked your keys, their only gateway to this world, in this diamond. Nothing can penetrate it. Only I can set them free."

"You monster!"

"Get use to it." He pushed my face to the side as if dismissing me and turned around to walk towards Nefriti. With a swoop of his hand, Nefriti started to decompose into dust slowly disappearing.

"Well, why not just kill me as you have done with so many others? Enjoy your kill!" I shouted, holding back the tears as I had just submitted to death.

"I can't do that. You are far too precious to just dispose of."

"Either way it doesn't matter. The guild will find out sooner or later. In fact the minute I get back there, I'll reveal everything about you!"

"Not if you value your friends lives."

"What?" I said in shock.

"My magic comes through the earth and surges through it, no matter what the distance. I can easily kill one of your guildmates in just seconds without even needing to show my face there. I can even make the whole building crumble right on top of their heads if so I desired."

The mere thought of that happening to them made my knees weak to the point where I could barely stand. Again I had brought so much trouble not only to myself but to the guild as well. I was endangering them again, their lives at stake. "Don't you have enough hostages to hold against me?" tears started to pour down my face uncontrollably.

"Even though I possess your celestial spirits, I cannot harm them. They are divine beings that cannot be killed. The keys themselves cannot be broken unless it is done so by the user herself. I'm only holding onto them to keep you from fighting back." That relieved me for only a mere second since my other friends were still at stake.

"I'll do whatever you ask, just please," I tried myself not to sob too much. "don't hurt them" This grabbed his attention.

"You would go to such extents just to keep your friends safe?" I didn't respond. I didn't need to answer such a stupid question. "Well then let's test it out." His finger pointed at the spot in front of him "Come here." He said almost in a mocking way.

I started walking, with my head down in shame. I didn't want to do anything Petra asked me to do, but I had no choice. If it meant keeping my friends safe, I would do anything. Once I saw the two feet in front of me, I slightly raise my head to face him. "Yes, excellent." His eyes felt like their were piercing through my skin as he examined me from head to toe. I wasn't that oblivious. I'd seen stares from men like that before. And his behaviour from before I knew his true identity shouldn't be dismissed either.

He grabbed my upper arm and squeezed it gently. "So soft." He pulled me close, his face on my head, lightly sniffing my hair. "So sweet" He then backed away just a little and gently lifted my chin in order to face him. "So…" I held my breath for what was to come. "delicious." He slammed his lips onto mine, forcefully kissing me like there was no end. I tried to keep myself together, rejecting him as much as I could without disobeying his commands, but it only took a bite to the lip to make me open my mouth in a yelp of pain for him to stick his tongue into it. It swirled all around fighting a battle that my tongue desperately didn't want to partake in. He was moaning and groaning, obviously enjoying every minute of harrassing me while I barely kept myself from whimpering.

My lips felt swollen by the time he was done and satisfied. I felt disgusting. Violated. I wanted to spit it all out, but I kept my composure. As I huffed for air that was restrained from me for almost two minutes, Petra grabbed my face made forcefully made me look into his deadly eyes that I now feared so much. "Be ready for more, cause that was just the beginning."

* * *

**Hellooooo,**

**Indeed Petra, thats just the beginning. Now for the build up of the main climax of the story! Hahaha! I know it took a while but I feel like this story is such a touchy subject that I don't want to mess up in. This is not something to take lightly. Any relationship like this, even if started off as a cute love story with someone who "cares" about you, regardless of gender. This is NOT healthy. If anyone is ever being abused like this, report to the police immediately because you DO have a choice. This is truly horrible and should not be looked at as a goal in a relationship. It is wrong. And because it is so wrong, it is the character that is Petra. The villain. So please be safe and respect yourself. It is never the victim's fault. Ever. **

**Have a wonderful rest of the day and week. See you next update. **

**Bye my beauties**

**-Avgi**


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